


Black Sails Timeline

by dornfelder



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Meta, Other, Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 20:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11631612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dornfelder/pseuds/dornfelder
Summary: This is the timeline that I've wanted to make for ages. If you have any additional footage - quotes that determine how long a journey takes, or other clues like dated notes, letters, or anything else, please let me know!Many thanks to WindRyder, azarias and RunwayMarbles for adding valuable details!





	Black Sails Timeline

 

**Episode**

| 

**Date**

| 

**Events**  
  
---|---|---  
  
-

| 

**year unknown***

| 

****Henry Avery makes a deal with the governor.****   _"And thus began the pirate issue on New Providence Island."_ (Thomas Hamilton, 2.01).  
  
-

| 

**year unknown****

| 

****Eleanor Guthrie's mother is killed during a Spanish raid in Nassau; Madi and her mother are sent to Maroon Island. Richard Guthrie leaves Nassau, Mr. Scott takes over his business.**** _"Before the Rosario raids, there were warnings, whispers that Spain intended to retaliate against Richard Guthrie and his growing pirate empire. I could not leave my wife and daughter in harm's way, so I secured them passage here."_ (Mr. Scott to Flint, 3.05.)  
  
-

| 

**~ 1703/1704**

| 

****Eleanor Guthrie first meets Charles Vane.**** _"I remember the first time I saw you. You were about 13. You'd snuck down to the beach despite Mr. Scott's rules forbidding it.“_  (Vane, 1.08)  
  
-

| 

**1705**

| 

****James McGraw meets Lord Thomas Hamilton and his wife Miranda in London. Over the course of several months, they conceive a plan to restore law and order in Nassau.**** _"These past few months I have come to trust you. Very much.“_ (Thomas Hamilton to James McGraw right before Alfred Hamilton arrives, 2.04.)

****After Thomas Hamilton has unsuccessfully introduced the idea of the pardons to his father, Thomas, Miranda, and James keep campaigning for their plans for Nassau along with Lord Peter Ashe. At some point, James is sent to Nassau to talk to the governor. He's gone for roughly three months.****   _"Three months. Feels like twice as long."_  (Thomas Hamilton, 4.05.)

****During James' presence in Nassau or prior to his arrival there, the governor's wife and son are killed by Edward Teach and his men; the pirates gain control of Nassau. James returns to London. His attempts to get the admiralty to support their plan to install Thomas Hamilton as a governor in Nassau fail. Thomas is imprisoned, James and Miranda are exiled.****  
  
-

| 

**1706**

| 

****February: James McGraw and Miranda Hamilton arrive in Nassau. James McGraw "creates" Captain Flint and takes to piracy. June: Captain Flint takes his first noticeable prize.**** _"When did you first arrive in Nassau?" - "Two months after we saw you last in London. February, thereabouts." - "The first accounts of Captain Flint raiding ships in the area began in June. You became the captain of a pirate crew in four months?" - "I became the captain of a pirate crew faster than that. It took us four months to secure our first significant prize."_  (Miranda, Flint, and Peter Ashe, 2.09)  
  
-

| 

**1707**

| 

****At the age of seventeen, Eleanor Guthrie starts an affair with Charles Vane and bans Edward Teach from Nassau.****   _"At first, when my father left, I only watched. My guardian, a slave belonging to my father, ran the operation in his stead. Eventually, I felt it was time I stepped in." - "How old were you at this point?" - "I was 17." - "How does one persuade an island full of thieves and murderers to respect the authority of a 17-year-old girl?" - "I identified the one they were most afraid of and I threw him off the island." - "What was his name?" - "His name was Edward Teach."_  (Rogers and Eleanor, 3.02.)

_"For years, I've laid my head down at night, and no matter where I was, an odor would arrive at my nose. Brine and hides and pitch and shit. The perfume of this place. Across eight years and as many wives and so many distractions."_ (Teach, 3.02.)

_"Then why do you? You've been gone eight years, and suddenly my partnership is this valuable to you? Why? " - "Eight years. Nine wives. No sons."_ (Vane and Teach, 3.03.)  
  
-

| 

**?**

| 

****Miranda and James learn of Thomas' death.**** _"When we received that letter from you informing us of Thomas's death, the damage wrought by Alfred Hamilton was too much for us to bear."_  (Flint to Peter Ashe, 2.09)  
  
****-****

| 

****?****

| 

****Miranda gets a letter from a former servant, informing her that Alfred Hamilton intends to travel to Carolina under an assumed name.**** _ **"**_ _And how long after that was it that you decided to murder Alfred Hamilton?" - "I received a letter from a former servant. She mentioned innocently that Alfred was travelling in secret."_  (Miranda and Peter Ashe, 2.09)

****Captain Flint captures the Maria Aleyne and kills Alfred Hamilton and a female companion.**** _"Number of years back, before you crewed up with us, Flint had us hunting a merchant ship, the Maria Aleyne."_  (Morley to Billy, 1.04.)  
  
****-****

| 

****?****

| 

****Billy Bones joins the Walrus crew.****  
  
****1.01****

| 

****Middle of March, 1715****

| 

****Beginning of the show, Captain Flint captures a merchant ship with information about the Urca's schedule.****    
  
| 

****\+ 1 - 2 days****

| 

****The Walrus arrives in Nassau, John Silver is introduced to "Blackbeard" and allies with Max; Flint sails to Harbor Island with Billy where they abduct Richard Guthrie.****  
  
| 

****+1 day****

| 

****Singleton calls for a vote. Flint kills Singleton.****

**„** _In my own defense, I'm still trying to figure out how this whole place works myself. I mean, I came aboard the ship two days ago and I hear Mr. Singleton making what sounds to me to be a lot of sense. Then less than a day later, he's dead, Flint remains, and everyone seems to have forgotten that any of it ever happened.“_ (Silver to Randall, 1.03)   
  
****1.02****

| 

****same day****

| 

****Silver escapes with the page. In the evening, he is caught by Flint during a confrontation at the Wrecks.**** _"Three days with the Urca's schedule, three minutes with whatever the fuck this is."_  (Silver in 1.07, explaining how long the schedule has been in his possession.)  
  
**1.03**

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Richard Guthrie is brought to Miranda's house. Silver makes a deal with Flint to join the Walrus crew.****

****Eleanor plans to get the guns necessary to hunt the Urca de Lima.**** „ _Bryson's due back in two days.“_ (Eleanor to Mr. Scott)  
  
 

| 

**\+ x days**

| 

_"Pastor Lambrick, you have happened by here every Wednesday for months now. I've grown tired of acting surprised, so I have instead decided this Wednesday to receive you properly." - "I beg your pardon. I'm afraid I've become a burden." - "Far from it. I look forward to our conversations. Please, sit? This week's sermon?" - "Your thoughts are always enlightening. Ahem. Easter." - "Is it Easter already?"_ (Miranda and Pastor Lambrick. In 1715, Easter Sunday is on March 24th, marking the date of this conversation as Wednesday, March 20th - a few days after the beginning of the show.)

**Vane and Flint negotiate, Max is caught and then raped by Vane‘s men, Eleanor turns against Vane.**  
  
****1.04****

| 

****+1 week****

| 

_„Christ. One week without a ship, and you go completely to hell.“_ (Jack to Charles)

****Careening.**** _„If we had weeks, we'd surely take them. But we must sail within days if we are to meet the Urca.“_ (Flint to his crew.)

****Eleanor tries to get the guns from Bryson and is betrayed by Mr. Scott and her father. In the evening, the Andromache sets sail.****  
  
****1.05****

| 

****+1 day****

| 

****Flint hunts the Andromache, Eleanor builds a consortium after her father has announced the liquidation of his holdings.****

_"For years, we've all profited in this place, trading on the stability of my family's name. But unfortunately, our circumstances have changed. A fortnight ago, His Majesty's Navy attempted to place me under arrest."_ (Richard Guthrie, addressing the people of Nassau, referring to the events in 1.01)  
  
****1.06****

| 

****same day****

| 

****More of the same.**** ** **Vane leaves for Albinus‘ island. Anne and Eleanor kill Hammund and his friends.****  
  
****1.07****

| 

****+1 day****

| 

****The Walrus returns to Nassau.****

_"Captain, yesterday morning, my father walked into town, stood out on the steps of the warehouse and proclaimed to the world that the Guthries' business is finished here in Nassau." - "What was the reaction?" - "The men elected representatives, we agreed upon an agenda, and we spoke about the merits of mutual cooperation over tea." - "So it was bad?" - "Bad? It was fucking chaos. For about an hour, I thought they had burned down all of Nassau. But it's been handled. As of last night, I've instituted a new trading system and the street has embraced it. A consortium with myself at its head, Captains Naft and Lawrence as a means of shipping, and Mr. Frasier as its corporate seal." "Hmm. All this since yesterday?"_ (Flint and Eleanor)

****Gates and Flint have a fallout, Silver deals with the mutineers.**** ** **Vane gets a new crew. Flint and Miranda argue.****

" _Do you really think it's wise to get pissed in full view of any of your men that may stumble in here just before they're about to embark on the most dangerous journey of their lives?" - "Wise? Probably not. But then there was 36 hours before castoff, so I thought why not live dangerously?"_ (Flint to Eleanor after his argument with Miranda, indicating that they only spend two days back in Nassau before their departure.)  
  
****1.08****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****The Walrus sets out to hunt the Urca de Lima, Vane takes the fort. The Walrus reaches its destination - battle with the Spanish warship. Mutiny.****  
  
****2.01****

| 

****+1 day****

| 

****Silver and Flint board the warship, the Walrus crew escapes.****  
  
****2.02****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****Flint regains his captaincy.****   _"In approximately two days' time, when we arrive back at Nassau, you and I will both be unceremoniously expelled from this ship." - "That would seem to be an impediment to your plan." - "In less than two days, I intend to be a captain again."_  (Flint and Silver)

**Silver's account of going-ons gives the date as June 13th, 1715.** _"An account of goings-on. Volume the first on this 13th day in June, The weather is fair."_   _**(Probably a continuity error, as it directly contradicts the rest of the timeline. It would also mean that more than two months have passed between Flint obtaining the schedule and the hunt for the Urca. From the clues given before, the date should be April rather than June.)**_

****In Nassau, Vane and Eleanor deal with Ned Low.****  
  
**2.03**

| 

**+1 day**

| 

****The Walrus returns to Nassau, confrontation between Flint and Eleanor, Flint occupies the harbor and threatens to bomb the fort. Flint sends two men back to watch the Urca gold.****  
  
****2.04****

| 

****same day****

| 

****Negotiations among the pirates, Billy returns.****

_"Captain is holding things together with both hands and Billy will, understandably, have some feelings about the events of this past week. If those feeling were expressed right now, it could spoil whatever chances we have to retrieve the Urca gold."_ (Silver, indicating that no more than a week has passed between Gates' death and the mutiny and their return to Nassau)   
  
****2.05****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Flint starts bombing the fort, Miranda learns about Abigail, confronts Flint.****  
  
****2.06****

| 

****same day****

| 

****Vane refuses to cooperate, Eleanor frees Abigail.****  
  
****2.07****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Eleanor delivers Abigail to Flint, fallout between Flint and Hornigold, Flint's spies return in the evening to report that the Urca gold is gone.****  
  
****2.08****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****The Walrus sails to Charles Town.****  
  
****2.09****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Arrival in Charles Town, Flint and Miranda are betrayed, the warship is taken by Vane's men.****  
  
****2.10****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Vane frees Flint, Charles Town is destroyed.****  
  
| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****Silver is made quartermaster, tells Flint about the Urca gold, which has been retrieved by Jack.****  
  
****3.01****

| 

****\+ x months****

| 

****Eleanor's trial in London is scheduled.****   _"Any news from London?" - "The trial is set to begin sometime next week."_  (Mr. Scott and Max)

****Jack reads a newspaper dated August 15**** ** **th**** ** **, 1715 (which could be several weeks or months old).****

****Jack is struggling to keep his promise to repair the fort.****   _"When Captains Flint and Rackham made their pact those months ago, settled their differences over the possession of the Urca gold, they asked me to oversee the restoration of the fort."_  (Mr. Scott to Max, 3.01.)

****Woodes Rogers "frees" Eleanor.****   _"I am to set sail for the West Indies in two days' time."_   (Rogers to Eleanor)  
  
**3.02**

| 

**\+ x days**

| 

****Reconstruction of the fort. Blackbeard arrives in Nassau, Hornigold chases Flint, the Walrus weathers the storm. Hornigold returns to Rogers with news of Flint's death. The Walrus ends up becalmed.****   _"Where are we?" - "The storm drove us east into the Sargasso Sea. We are becalmed." - "Stores?" - "Most of the fresh water was lost in the flooding in the storm. The food that could be salvaged, we have a few days. Maybe a week." - "How far to the nearest coast?" - "At our current speed? About three times that."_  (Billy, Silver, and Flint)  
  
**3.03**

| 

**+ 3 weeks**

| 

****The doldrums.****   ** **It's 12 days when they cut the rations again, 18 days when Flint shoots the two men accused of stealing food, 21 days when they hunt the sharks.**** _"How bad is it?" - "Since we've been becalmed, our rate of drift has suggested we had a good chance of making landfall on one of these islands in approximately a week to ten days' time. Based on our readings today and yesterday, however, I would say that that estimate is far too optimistic." - "We'll have to cut the men's rations again." - "I agree." - "If anything, stores are dwindling faster than we thought. Fresh water is just about gone. Food stores have been empty for about three days, and the haul from the eel nets isn't keeping pace."_  (Flint, Billy, Silver)

****Max hears of the impending arrival of the new governor, Vane and Blackbeard prepare to organize Nassau's defenses.**** _"The date has been set for our arrival in Nassau, roughly two weeks from today […]."_ (Rogers to Eleanor)

****The governor arrives in Nassau, Hornigold offers pardons for everyone except Vane.****

****Flint and his men arrive at Maroon Island and are taken prisoner.****  
  
****3.04****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Vane and Jack destroy the fort.****   _"I have lost years of my life these last months trying to rebuild this place."_ (Jack)

****Vane and Blackbeard escape while the pirates of Nassau take the pardons. Scott is wounded trying to help the slaves escape from Nassau. Flint and his men are interrogated.****  
  
****3.05****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****Negotiations on Maroon island, Scott is brought there with news from Nassau.****

****Vane and Blackbeard are on their way to Ocrakoke.****   _"Wind's in our favor. Should be arriving in Ocracoke in three days' time."_  (Teach)

****As they take a Spanish prize, Vane learns of the cache.****  
  
**3.06**

| 

**\+ x days**

| 

****The Walrus sails to Ocracoke.****  
  
****3.07****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****The Walrus sails back to Maroon Island, then to Nassau. Long John Silver makes an appearance.****  
  
| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Flint meets the governor, Vane returns to the Walrus with Anne and news of the cache.****  
  
****3.08****

| 

****+1 day****

| 

****Jack and the cache are brought to a ship that is bound for Havanna.****   _"If I'm in Havanna in a day or two, I assume I'll be hearing a lot of it shouted by bitter old women in a crowd, growled by angry officials."_  (Jack to Rogers)

****Flint, Vane and Anne intercept the carriage, Vane is taken prisoner. Silver lies in wait with the Walrus.****   _"A few months ago, all they let me do on this ship was cook."_  (Silver to Madi)  
  
**3.09**

| 

**+1 day**

| 

****The Walrus arrives at Maroon Island.****   _"We're not far now. We should be sighting the island soon." - "And Hornigold?" - "He's two miles astern, give or take. Managed to keep ahead of him through the night."_ (Flint to Jack)

****Charles Vane is meant to be sent to England the next day.****   _"At noon tomorrow, you'll be transported under guard to the bay, where you'll be boarded onto the Shark and sent to London to face a Court of the Admiralty."_  (Eleanor to Vane)

_"The first order of business for which I will need your help - is rescuing Captain Vane." - "Rescuing? There are a hundred redcoats between him and the front door of the fort. Even if there was a way to get to him, he's set to be shipped out tomorrow."_  (Billy and Featherstone)

****Flint starts preparations for a battle on Maroon Island.****   _"How long before their force arrives?" - "A few days for Captain Hornigold to return to Nassau and report that the cache is defended by a small army. Three days to muster soldiers and supply ships. A week, more or less, before the governor's forces arrive on our coasts."_ (Flint and the Maroon Queen)  
  
 

| 

**\+ 1 day**

| 

****Vane gets hanged.****   _"The crew of the Shark is standing down. The governor has scrapped his plans to move Captain Vane off the island and then scheduled an accelerated trial for the captain here in Nassau." - "Shit. When did they schedule it to begin?" - "In the middle of the night. Last night. It's already happened." - "You said there was no judge appointed here. It was supposed to take days before they could start the process." - "They appointed a judge, they impaneled a jury. It was over before anyone knew it began." - "Where is Vane now?" - "Still in the fort. But when I left the street, they were carrying the timber to assemble a gallows in the square. They mean to hang him today."_ (Billy and Featherstone.)   
  
**3.10**

| 

**\+ x days**

| 

****Hornigold returns to Nassau; the British fleet prepares for battle; so does Flint. Blackbeard gets the news of Vane's death and sails to Maroon Island just in time to join the battle.****  
  
****4.01****

| 

****\+ x weeks/months****

| 

**Rogers divorces his wife and marries Eleanor, Billy builds the resistance movement in Nassau.**

**Flint, Teach and the maroons prepare for an invasion.** _"In a few weeks time, I will lead a pirate fleet of unprecedented strength into a battle of unprecedented importance."_  (Flint in the flashbacks set between season three and four, 4.09.)

****The pirate fleet sails for Nassau, gets ship-wrecked. Silver is taken prisoner by Hands.****  
  
****4.02****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Madi, Billy and Flint take the Underhill plantation, fall**** ** **out between Billy and Flint, Max tries and fails to take Silver captive.****  
  
**4.03**

| 

**+** **1 day**

| 

**Flint and Silver reunite, the pirates retake Nassau, the governor defeats Teach and kills him.**  
  
**4.04**

| 

**same day**

| 

**The pirates regroup in Nassau. Negotiations with Eleanor, Flint offers himself as collateral. Jack and Anne take over the Lion.**  
  
****4.05****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****Flint is Eleanor's prisoner while Rogers sails to Havanna.****   _"No news from outside the walls?" - "A ketch was seen departing the day before last. We were told it was sent to retrieve the cache, but since then, nothing."_ (Flint and Eleanor, 4.05.)

****During this timeframe, Tom Morgan travels to Savannah and back.****  
  
**4.06**

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****The exchange is prepared, Billy is set up by Silver, then brought to the Underhill estate. Jack returns to Nassau.****

****The Spanish raid.****  
  
****4.07****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****The Walrus returns to Maroon Island, Jack sails to Philadelphia - it's winter there. Max and Jack negotiate with Grandma Guthrie. Clean-up after the raid, Billy sides with Rogers, Madi is taken prisoner. Rogers sends a message to Maroon Island to exchange Madi for the cache.****  
  
****4.08****

| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****Rogers leads them to Skeleton Island.****  
  
****4.09****

| 

****\+ 1 day****

| 

****Flint escapes with the cache and buries it, Rogers sinks the Walrus.****  
  
****4.10****

| 

****same day****

| 

****Jack arrives, pursuit of the governor with ensuing battle, return to Skeleton Island to retrieve the cache, confrontation between Flint and Silver, Billy washes up on the shore.****  
  
| 

****\+ x days****

| 

****The Lion sails to Savannah where Flint is imprisoned, then returns to Maroon Island; Jack sails to Philadelphia (it's still winter upon his arrival).****  
  
| 

****\+ x weeks/months****

| 

****Featherstone as governor, Rogers is trialed and imprisoned.****  
  
 

 * real life history: Henry Avery made a deal with Nassau's governor, Sir Nicholas Trott, in 1696 

** real life history: the Spanish raid in Nassau happened in 1703 

 

 


End file.
